The 2023 Southern Living Idea House is an oasis on the Tennessee hillside. Bill Holloway and Luke Sippel of Lake + Land Studio had the task of building and designing the perfect home for clients who loved dogs, music, and indoor-outdoor living. The 5,600-square-foot contemporary Southern farmhouse in Leiper’s Fork was intentionally placed to fit the surrounding natural landscape. Holloway and Sippel wanted the home to feel as though it had always been there. An important element of Southern living was present in the home’s design and build: porches. The home has a large, covered porch that runs the nearly the entire length of the back of the home on the main floor and one on the lower level. Using Marvin Ultimate multi-slide doors on the porch unified the indoor and outdoor spaces. The multi-slide door has the ability for the door to open fully, seamlessly blending the two spaces. MARVIN PRODUCTS USED: Elevate Direct Glaze Window Elevate Casement Window Elevate Sliding French Door Elevate French Door Ultimate Glider Window Ultimate Multi-Slide Door Ultimate Outswing Door Architecture Firm: Lake + Land Studio Builder: Hatcliff Construction Interior Design: Laura Hodges Studio Landscape: Southern Creations Landscaping Dealer: AVI Windows and Doors

Arlington Heights, IL 60004 Split Level Style Home Exterior Remodel in Vinyl Siding Mastic Quest Classic Creame.
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless yellow split-level vinyl house exterior remodel in Chicago with a shingle roof

Arlington Heights, IL 60004 Split Level Style Home Exterior Remodel in Vinyl Siding Mastic Quest Classic Creame.
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless yellow split-level vinyl house exterior remodel in Chicago with a shingle roof

Arlington Heights, IL 60004 Split Level Style Home Exterior Remodel in Vinyl Siding Mastic Quest Classic Creame.
Mid-sized traditional yellow split-level vinyl house exterior idea in Chicago with a shingle roof

This homeowner purchased a run down split level home and needed to remodel on a tight budget. For maximum impact we selected black cabinets and black wood floor along with vibrant green walls to create energy and funk to the space. The main counters are marble and the large island is stainless steel for function and budget. The dining table is made of reclaimed wood that looks better with age. By adding eclectic and unique accessories we gave the kitchen/dining area a "wow" factor for little cost! Photo: Aaron Pederson

The existing house was a dated 1962 Split Level Ranch that has undergone a complete transformation to a modern livable residence for a growing family with high ceilings and an expanded upper level addition to the South. The new roof design is a switchback roof that expresses the overlapping levels while creating clerestory windows for increased daylighting and ventilation. The elevated addition can serve both as a carport and as a covered patio space that connects to the yard. Photography: David Maurand

Example of a trendy patio design in New York with a bbq area

Elisa Macomber, Barker Realty
Enclosed kitchen - small southwestern l-shaped brick floor enclosed kitchen idea in Albuquerque with a double-bowl sink, granite countertops, black backsplash, ceramic backsplash, black appliances and no island

How can you get more usable space and flow from a split-level home without changing its footprint? It’s not uncommon to remove a wall or two that separates the Kitchen and Living area. And for this 1990’s split-level design, we did just that. But we also brought together the main, lower and upper levels with new luxury vinyl flooring throughout along with updated staircases and spindles and new baseboards, doors, and trims. The open layout now allows for entertaining without being closed off from the Kitchen. The Kitchen features more storage space with the addition of several tall pantries and a large island for working space. The main Kitchen cabinets are white while the island is painted a light gray to create contrast and black handles and faucets are added for accent. A clean white herringbone backsplash is incorporated along the wall and the white countertop with gray veining ties the whole monotone look together. To bring together the three levels in this split-level design, we installed new luxury vinyl flooring throughout along with updated staircases and spindles and new baseboards and trims. When you’re ready to bring flow and function to your split-level, we’re the Renovator You Can Count On.

When you open the back doors of the home of Nancy and Jeremy Campbell in Granville, you don’t just step out onto a patio. You enter an extension of a modern living space that just happens to be outdoors. Their patio’s unique design and setting provides the comfort and style of indoors while enjoying the natural beauty and fresh air of outdoors. It all started with a rather desolate back yard. “It was completely blank, there was nothing back there,” Nancy remembers of the patio space of this 1972 split-level house they bought five years ago. With a blank slate to work with, the Campbells knew the key elements of what they wanted for their new outdoor space when they sat down with Travis Ketron of Ketron Custom Builders to design it. “We knew we wanted something covered so we could use it in the rain, and in the winter, and we knew we wanted a stone fireplace,” Nancy recalls. Travis translated the Campbells’ vision into a design to satisfy outdoor entertaining and relaxing desires in all seasons. The new outdoor space is reminiscent of a vast, rustic great room complete with a stone fireplace, a vaulted ceiling, skylights, and ceiling fans, yet no walls. The space is completely open to the elements without any glass or doors on any of the sides, except from the house. Furnished like a great room, with a built-in music system as well, it’s truly an extension of indoor living and entertaining space, and one that is unaffected by rain. Jeremy comments, “We haven’t had to cover the furniture yet. It would have to be a pretty strong wind to get wet.” Just outside the covered patio is a quartet of outdoor chairs adorned with plush cushions and colorful pillows, positioned perfectly for users to bask in the sun. In the design process, the fireplace emerged as the anchor of the space and set the stage for the outdoor space both aesthetically and functionally. “We didn’t want it to block the view. Then designing the space with Travis, the fireplace became the center,” remembers Jeremy. Placed directly across from the two sets of French doors leading out from the house, a Rumford fireplace and extended hearth of stone in neutral earth tones is the focal point of this outdoor living room. Seating for entertaining and lounging falls easily into place around it providing optimal viewing of the private, wooded back yard. When temperatures cool off, the fireplace provides ample warmth and a cozy setting to experience the change of seasons. “It’s a great fireplace for the space,” Jeremy says of the unique design of a Rumford style fireplace. “The way you stack the wood in the fireplace is different so as to get more heat. It has a shallower box, burns hotter and puts off more heat. Wood is placed in it vertically, not stacked.” Just in case the fireplace doesn’t provide enough light for late-night soirees, there is additional outdoor lighting mounted from the ceiling to make sure the party always goes on. Travis brought the idea of the Rumford outdoor fireplace to the Campbells. “I learned about it a few years back from some masons, and I was intrigued by the idea then,” he says. “We like to do stuff that’s out of the norm, and this fireplace fits the space and function very well.” Travis adds, “People want unique things that are designed for them. That’s our style to do that for them.” The patio also extends out to an uncovered area set up with patio tables for grilling and dining. Gray pavers flow throughout from the covered space to the open-air area. Their continuous flow mimics the feel of flooring that extends from a living room into a dining room inside a home. Also, the earth tone colors throughout the space on the pavers, fireplace and furnishings help the entire space mesh nicely with its natural surroundings. A little ways off from both the covered and uncovered patio area is a stone fire pit ring. Removed by just the right distance, it provides a separate place for young adults to gather and enjoy the night. Adirondack chairs and matching tables surround the outdoor fire pit, offering seating for anyone who doesn’t wish to stand and a place to set down ingredients for yummy fireside treats like s’mores. Padded chairs outside the reach of the pavilion and the nearby umbrella the perfect place to kick back and relax in the sun. The colorful throw pillows and outdoor furniture cushions add some needed color and a touch of personality. Enjoying the comforts of indoors while being outdoors is exactly what the Campbells are doing now, particularly when lounging on the comfortable wicker furniture that dominate most of the area. “My favorite part of the whole thing is the fireplace,” Nancy says. Jeremy concludes, “There is no television, it would destroy the ambiance out there. We just enjoy listening to music and watching the fire.”

Conceptual Rendering
Example of a small transitional green split-level mixed siding exterior home design in Chicago

You need only look at the before picture of the SYI Studio space to understand the background of this project and need for a new work space. Susan lives with her husband, three kids and dog in a 1960 split-level in Bloomington, which they've updated over the years and didn't want to leave, thanks to a great location and even greater neighbors. As the SYI team grew so did the three Yeley kids, and it became clear that not only did the team need more space but so did the family. 1.5 bathrooms + 3 bedrooms + 5 people = exponentially increasing discontent. By 2016, it was time to pull the trigger. Everyone needed more room, and an offsite studio wouldn't work: Susan is not just Creative Director and Owner of SYI but Full Time Activities and Meal Coordinator at Chez Yeley. The design, conceptualized entirely by the SYI team and executed by JL Benton Contracting, reclaimed the existing 4th bedroom from SYI space, added an ensuite bath and walk-in closet, and created a studio space with its own exterior entrance and full bath—making it perfect for a mother-in-law or Airbnb suite down the road. The project added over a thousand square feet to the house—and should add many more years for the family to live and work in a home they love. Contractor: JL Benton Contracting Cabinetry: Richcraft Wood Products Photographer: Gina Rogers

Front elevation of a completed addition to a split-level home in Teaneck, NJ by WA Construct — dark gray vinyl siding with white window trim, new second-floor gable with decorative vent, stone veneer foundation accent, bay window, and architectural shingle roof. Design-build custom home builder.

This midcentury split level needed an entire gut renovation to bring it into the current century. Keeping the design simple and modern, we updated every inch of this house, inside and out, holding true to era appropriate touches.

Needing more space for their growing family, these young homeowners approached us to help them create an updated, larger home from their existing 1953 split-level. On the first floor, walls were removed to create an open concept kitchen and living room. A new dining room addition was constructed in the back, as well as a new tandem 2-car garage.

This midcentury split level needed an entire gut renovation to bring it into the current century. Keeping the design simple and modern, we updated every inch of this house, inside and out, holding true to era appropriate touches.

This midcentury split level needed an entire gut renovation to bring it into the current century. Keeping the design simple and modern, we updated every inch of this house, inside and out, holding true to era appropriate touches.

This midcentury split level needed an entire gut renovation to bring it into the current century. Keeping the design simple and modern, we updated every inch of this house, inside and out, holding true to era appropriate touches.

This midcentury split level needed an entire gut renovation to bring it into the current century. Keeping the design simple and modern, we updated every inch of this house, inside and out, holding true to era appropriate touches.